Sponsor

Sponsor

Union fight brews with right-to-work push in Minn.

Republicans pulled Minnesota into an
explosive issue Thursday by introducing legislation to make union
membership optional, setting the stage for a fight that has
triggered boycotts by Democratic lawmakers and large protests in
other states.

GOP senators introduced the plan as a proposed constitutional
amendment, meaning it would need only a simple majority in the
House and Senate - and bypass Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton - to get
on the ballot. If voters ultimately approved it, the amendment
would bar labor contracts from requiring both public and private
workers to pay union fees or compelling membership.

Democrats have vowed not to support the proposal, but
Republicans have narrow majorities in both legislative chambers.
Still, some GOP lawmakers have been skittish about the issue,
leaving its fate in question.

Sen. Dave Thompson, a Lakeville Republican, said proponents are
heading into the campaign knowing it's a volatile issue. But he
stressed that the measure doesn't change the ability to
collectively bargain in places where unions exist.

Thompson and other advocates said such laws help create better
business environments and spur job growth because employers are
more hesitant to expand in places where unions are more prevalent.

Sen. Barb Goodwin, a Democrat from Columbia Heights, said the
plan is simply an attempt to weaken unions, one of the major
backers of the Democratic Party.

"The playground bullies are attacking working people again," Goodwin said. But, she added: "It will bring working people out to
vote. And that's not a bad thing."

Almost half of U.S. states have such right-to-work laws. Indiana
became the 23rd right-to-work state on Wednesday, when the state's
Republican governor signed the measure into law. It ended a
contentious two-year political fight that included large union
protests, and lawmaker walkouts and stall tactics - including
Democrats in the House fleeing the state for five weeks last year
and refusing to enter the chamber for several days this year.

Such efforts are usually backed by Republicans, who say their
right-to-work plans are better for business.

In Minnesota, Republican Rep. Steve Drazkowski of Mazeppa, the
chief sponsor in the House, claimed that workers relocate from
"forced-unionism states to right-to-work states."

"This initiative will give Minnesotans the opportunity to
reverse the hinges on the doors," he said.

However, experts say many factors influence states' economies
and that it's nearly impossible to isolate the impact of right to
work. For major industries, access to supplies, infrastructure, key
markets and a skilled workforce are key factors, according to
business recruitment specialists. For a state's workers, the impact
of right-to-work legislation is limited because only about 7
percent of private sector employees are unionized.